A group of Bellevue women, many of them immigrants, get an opportunity to share the untold stories in their family histories at a Cultural Conversations workshop on Jan. 8 at the Crossroads Community Center.

Carol Ross, an avid amateur genealogist, will lead the session, 1-2:30 p.m. She will explore the storytelling aspect of genealogy. Instead of focusing on the technical "how to" of tracing family history, she will ask participants to resurrect the stories that have never been told or seem to have ended abruptly.

The pursuit of family history is popular in the U.S., with so many people who have migrated here from all around the world for generations. The topic resonates for Cultural Conversations, a women’s group with members from many countries.

Ross was strongly influenced by the experience of her parents who were part of a great exodus of some 6 million African Americans from the South between 1915 and 1970, seeking opportunity and a better life. It wasn't until Ross obtained technical expertise that she began to make great strides in her genealogical research, but she notes that the art of storytelling about family history begins with what you know now.

Cultural Conversations was launched in 2010 as a partnership between diverse women who wanted to connect with the community and with each other and with the City of Bellevue. Monthly gatherings, facilitated by the Neighborhood Outreach team, are free. Refreshments are served and women of all ages, faiths and cultures are welcome to attend.